taken 3 years ago, near to Purton Stoke, Wiltshire, Great Britain

Wartime Weekend 2014 (14), Blunsdon Station

This year's re-enactment is centred on the railway station, transported for the purposes of the play from rural north Wiltshire in 2014 to northern France in 1944. The scenario is a skirmish for control over the station with the German unit fighting a combined force of British and American troops. The German unit is making steady progress in taking over the station. The weapons used by both teams in the scenario are authentic but de-activated. Look carefully and an expended cartridge case can be seen as it is expelled from the firing chamber. Next image SU1089 : Wartime Weekend 2014 (15), Blunsdon Station

The S&CR Link runs various events on its preserved railway. One of the more well-known is the Wartime Weekend held annually in September. The weekend is focused mainly, but not exclusively, on the second world war. These occasions allow numerous special-interest groups the opportunity to display and demonstrate their invariably military-based artefacts such as vehicles, uniforms and weapons. The highlight of the event is a battle re-enactment, normally set in France after D-Day as this enables the three main combatants in the Western European theatre, Britain, Germany and the United States, the chance to play their parts. The scenarios enable the participants to fire lots of blanks and make lots of noise and smoke. Victory rotates, one year the Allies win, the next it's the Axis. All very fair really.